Chapter 383: The Unlucky Old Ghost

Caught a nest of yin offenders; the haul must have been substantial.

Single Gang Ling seals alone number at least dozens.

Each can summon once the yin bureau's troops; if seized, one's confidence soars—face an enemy, and immediately deploy forces to encircle and crush them.

Above the great tripod, besides the Gang Ling, were these five small flags—seemingly mysterious, yet emitting no trace of qi.

Had he not heard the yin bureau's divine general speak, Li Yan would never have chosen them.

In the Da Xuan Gate, ritual flags are never used recklessly.

For example, the drum is for communicating with spirits, repelling evil, and sending messages—the Northern Frontier's Shamanic Five Immortals Hall uses the Wenwang Drum to summon immortals. His Yunlei Divine Drum is used solely for repelling evil.

Of course, the most vital function remains message transmission.

Whenever a Daoist altar is set up for rites, the ritual drum must be struck first. As it is said: "Life is emptiness, death is emptiness; birth and death never leave the Three Paths. The departed souls gather beneath the ritual altar—listen as I strike the ritual drum thrice."

Bells are divided into great bells, alarm bells, repentance bells, and imperial bells; each has distinct functions and appropriate occasions.

Ritual flags, however, are for commanding ghosts and gods, expelling evil, forming arrays, and deploying troops.

The "Five Directions Luo Feng Flag" before him is even more mysterious.

This artifact is no ordinary treasure—it resembles his Soul-Stealing Thunder Cord, forged purely from "qi," invisible to ordinary eyes.

Its greatest power is sustaining the Five Camps' troops.

In plain terms, it grants permanent usage rights.

Previously, when he mobilized yin bureau troops, he consumed Gang Ling seals; now he can nurture them within the "Five Directions Luo Feng Flag."

Before, he borrowed troops; now he raises them.

But using this artifact is not easy.

Each time he summons yin bureau troops, darkness descends, for yin bureau troops cannot linger long in the mortal realm—they must draw upon yin bureau power to form a special zone.

And nurturing troops himself still requires this method.

The "Five Directions Luo Feng Flag" is merely the core; he must also find a ritual artifact to anchor it, refining it daily to absorb earthly yin qi.

The higher the artifact's rank, the more earthly yin qi it absorbs, and the stronger the Five Camps' troops become—or else their power is restricted.

The benefit is that with this artifact, he can deploy arrays at will—concealing qi, trapping demons, and, when paired with the "Great Luo Feng Summoning Method," unleashing even fiercer power.

The Three Talismans Devil-Sealing Coins, brimming with malevolent qi, are perfect material to weave into a special ritual flag.

When done, its power will surely rival the Soul-Stealing Thunder Cord!

This is the best solution he can currently conceive.

Another reason: on Mount Hua, that unknown alchemical master had already taught him an extremely advanced method of weaving Devil-Sealing Coins.

He needs no one's help—he can craft the ritual flag himself.

Even if better materials emerge later, he can dismantle the Devil-Sealing Coins and reuse them for other artifacts.

Thinking of this, Li Yan turned his gaze to another box.

This box, too, came from the Old Ancestor of East Lake—ancient in age, crafted from lacquered wood, inlaid with gold ornaments, exquisitely luxurious.

Inside were several jujube wood needles, as thick as a thumb, inscribed with cloud patterns and thunder talismans, filled with cinnabar.

Beside them lay a pile of leather cords, pitch-black, smooth and fine, extraordinarily resilient—no matter how hard he pulled, they would not break.

He had shown this to others; it was also a treasure.

The Old Ancestor of East Lake was once enlightened by Master Liu Hai.

Master Liu Hai is most famous for "Liu Hai Playing with the Golden Toad"—his tale is widely known, depicted on New Year paintings, wood carvings, and amulet coins, now a sacred image.

Master Liu Hai, due to his "thread through the coin's eye," also became the patron saint and ancestral deity of needleworkers, akin to the Old Lord of Opera Troupes.

This item is tied to Master Liu Hai—his treasure for weaving coin ritual artifacts. The leather cords are from the hide of an ancient demon; the wooden needles are thunder-struck jujube wood, usable with hand seals and secret names.

Seeing the sky was still early, Li Yan immediately began weaving the coins.

He picked up the thunder-struck jujube needle, formed the Luo Feng Seal, silently chanted the secret name "Qing Jia," threaded the leather cord, and tied a knot on a coin.

Huh~

Inside the tent, wind howled; visible earthly yin qi rose as black mist, merging into the knot.

Each knot required a hand seal and secret name.

This was itself a method of artifact refinement.

After a quick mental calculation, Li Yan first wove nine coins into a flagpole, then added three, then two, then one coin atop, forming a triangular small flag.

Each ritual flag required seventy-five Three Talismans Devil-Sealing Coins.

The remaining six coins were made into sword tassels.

Compared to the nameless master on Mount Hua, his technique was undoubtedly inferior—but even so, by dusk, he had completed all five ritual flags.

He took out the summoning scroll again, focused his spirit, and five streams of black qi surged forth, clustering onto the five coin-flag standards.

Li Yan then lifted the flags, lit incense and candles, took out cinnabar and yellow paper, and wrote a petition: petitioning Luo Feng Mountain to accept the Five Camps' yin bureau troops into service.

After burning the yellow petition, he planted the Five Directions Luo Feng Flags around him, sat cross-legged, formed the Luo Feng Seal, and absorbed earthly yin qi to nurture them.

Instantly, yin winds howled, and darkness swallowed all around.

The distant camp tents of the City God Temple's Enforcement Hall Daoists naturally sensed this disturbance, turning frequently to glance and whisper.

"Ssshh—! What method is this? So eerie…"

"Don't meddle. Word came from the mountain—this Master Li is praised even by the Patriarch. He's no evil man. Probably just a method of the Living Yin Officer."

"Don't ask questions later—don't offend his taboos."

"Understood, Senior Brother."

"By the way, the Five Dragon Palace brothers went to Baokang County—any news on how it went?"

"They say they attacked Chunqiu Fortress and clashed with the local Miao people—but you know Master Master Yulong's temper—he never compromises."

"Chunqiu Fortress has fallen, but their leader, Huang Liu Shi, escaped; only the underlings were wiped out…"

"Pity."

"No pity—this time, the Xiangyang City God Temple was destroyed, and the mountain is furious. They'll likely send talisman troops to attack Inside Shennongjia; those demons won't hide long…"

Two more hours passed; the sky grew darker.

They had chosen a shaded spot in the mountains—relatively secluded. The Commandant's men had lit bonfires, roasted wild rabbits and river fish, warmed flatbreads, and ate them together.

Li Yan, too, had finally refined the flags, stowed them in his backpack, and stepped out of the tent.

"Master Li, come, have a sip of wine to warm up."

A Battalion Commander from the Commandant's Office hurried forward to invite him.

"Thank you."

Li Yan didn't refuse; he sat down and ate and drank with them.

Autumn had arrived; days were tolerable, but night winds blew cold, and the lingering earthly yin qi had coated the tent in frost—Li Yan's body was stiff with cold.

A few sips of hot wine gradually warmed him.

"It's appeared again!"

At that moment, the lookout from the Commandant's Office ran up to report.

Li Yan immediately rose and went to the edge of the dense forest to observe.

The ghostly Buddha Temple in the distance was now shrouded in yin mist; shadowy figures moved within. Even from such a distance, Li Yan's spirit ears could hear the murmur of sutra chanting.

Inside the temple's main hall, lights burned brightly.

Not the green ghost-fire—but real candlelight.

Li Yan pulled out his pocket watch—it was precisely midnight.

He frowned. "Does this happen every night?"

A Daoist from the Enforcement Hall replied: "It started last night. We suspect someone entered, but you warned us not to go in—we could only wait."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, coldly saying: "Only humans use candlelight. This old ghost isn't honest—there must be a hidden passage."

"I'll investigate. If I signal, surround the place immediately—capture anything that escapes."

"Understood, Master, be careful!"

After giving instructions, Li Yan formed the seal and activated the Northern Emperor's Dark Water Escape, his body wrapped in mist, becoming indistinct.

He moved swiftly, soon entering the ruined temple grounds. This old ghost was troublesome—originally a nanmu tree spirit, later cultivated Pure Land Buddhist teachings, controlled this region, gathered countless wandering souls and minor deities, forming a small faction.

If he crushed it, ghosts and spirits would run rampant.

Moreover, with this place secured, wandering souls near Xiangyang would be drawn here, reducing many dangers.

That's precisely why Master Master Sanfeng gave it a chance.

He had already agreed with Li Yan to assist in capturing the Ghost Sect followers—if he betrayed the pact, they'd have to fight.

Entering the thick mist, the sounds in Li Yan's ears grew louder.

Around him, ghostly monks still clasped their hands, chanting the "Sutra of Infinite Life," but their chanting was disordered.

Li Yan pondered, moving closer.

Just outside the ruined temple, he heard the door and a broken broom behind the wall whispering.

"Those people… what are they?"

"Thieves! Thieves!"

!.

"The abbot can't beat them, can't beat them…"

These little things were minor deities born with spirit—weak, only slightly stronger than ordinary ghosts.

Clearly, someone had arrived.

Li Yan was puzzled—who could this be, that even the old ghost dared not act?

He grew increasingly wary, advancing with utmost caution.

Soon, he heard voices coming from within the ruined temple:

"Master, where exactly is the treasure?"

"See that beam? That's it!"

"It looks so ordinary."

"What do you know? If this thing could be spotted by anyone, it would've been taken long ago. Thank heaven for this treasure—without it, we'd all be dead!"

"Remember, don't leave the temple until you've got it…"

Hearing this, Li Yan's gaze turned strange, and he no longer hid—he strode directly into the temple.

Inside the main hall of the ruined temple, four large tallow candles burned at each corner—east, south, west, and north—and copper mirrors reflected their light, illuminating the entire hall brightly.

In the center of the hall, beneath the floor, a spirit tablet hung from a stand, carved from golden-scented nanmu wood, ancient in age, with a single candle lit beneath it.

An old man, accompanied by two apprentices, had erected a bamboo ladder and climbed high onto the beam, measuring with a Lu Ban ruler and driving in coffin nails.

"Old ghost, you've got it rough…"

Seeing the motionless beam, Li Yan chuckled silently.

He had already spotted the trick.

These men, their heads wrapped in white cloth, were likely bi-bao practitioners from Shu—somehow acquired a spirit tablet and came here to fell nanmu wood.

As the saying goes: one thing subdues another.

The nanmu ghost was powerful, yet these men held it firmly in check.

"Who's there!"

The master and his apprentices were startled.

The two apprentices, skilled in movement, immediately flipped from the ceiling, rolled to dissipate force, and drew their weapons.

In their eyes, outside the temple door, mist rippled as a young man in black stepped in—his eyes like phoenixes, his gaze piercing.

"Shen-shu? Don't move!"

The elder on the beam recognized the art and immediately shouted to stop his disciples.

Anyone who could use shen-shu was not to be trifled with!

He pushed off with his legs, leaping like a nimble cat, using the wall beside him for support, and landed soundlessly on the ground, bowing respectfully: "All under heaven are brothers—may I ask which mountain you revere, and which incense you burn?"

"Guanzhong, Li Yan."

Li Yan gave a slight nod, unbothered.

The old man had deliberately shown off his superior lightness skill and spoken in Some Jianghu slang—clearly trying to negotiate by Some Jianghu rules.

But Li Yan had no sect—he simply gave his name.

"So you're Li Li Shaoxia."

The old man's pupils contracted; he quickly clasped his fists: "This is a remote, ruined temple—my disciples and I are here to extract a treasure, we've disturbed no one. We beg you, Li Li Shaoxia, to show mercy."

"We've disturbed no one?"

Li Yan chuckled silently. "You're in deep trouble."

Saying this, he stepped forward to take the spirit tablet.

"What are you doing?!"

The old man's scalp prickled.

The two apprentices rushed forward to block him.

Watching the two blades swing toward him, Li Yan didn't halt—he sidestepped, slipped between them, then thrust both elbows outward.

Thud!

The two apprentices flew backward simultaneously.

The old man moved to intercept, but his vision blurred—Li Yan used subtle force, stepped with the Flower-Piercing Step, turned his body, slipped past the old man, and seized the spirit tablet in one hand.

"You!"

The old man's eyes turned bloodshot with rage, yet he screamed: "You're asking for death—run!"

Saying this, he fled with his two apprentices.

But it was too late.

Suddenly, a chilling wind howled through the temple—the tallow candles turned green, and the temple doors slammed shut with a crash.

The entire ruined hall became a realm of ghosts.

"Hehehe…"

"These three karmas are the pure causes of all Buddhas of past, future, and present…"

"Kill them!"

Outside the door, heavy thuds and strange noises echoed endlessly.

The old man and his apprentices trembled violently, pulling leather pouches from their robes and sprinkling incense ash and salt to block the doors.

The old man fumbled out a talisman, shaking.

Hssss~

The paper talisman instantly blackened and turned to ash.

The old man nearly wept, cursing: "You! You've got a reputation, yet how reckless! We're all going to die here…"

Li Yan chuckled silently and called up to the beam: "Elder, stop playing with them—ask them the truth first."

He spoke politely, yet the spirit tablet remained firmly in his hand.

No sooner had he spoken than the chilling wind vanished—the tallow candles returned to normal color, but mist rose, blurring everything.

In the haze, countless phantom Buddhas and Bodhisattvas appeared, along with flying apsaras dancing overhead, gazing down upon them.

Li Yan frowned slightly. "Master, just speak plainly. These illusions of celestial Buddhas and Bodhisattvas aren't real—what good are they?"

"Amitabha…"

A withered voice echoed: "The old monk made a great vow—wherever I am, it becomes a Pure Land. All hearts contain Buddha, and thus a Pure Land manifests."

Though he spoke thus, he still withdrew his power, revealing a faint phantom of an old monk, palms joined, his form and face indistinct.

Li Yan shook his head slightly, no longer arguing, and held up the spirit tablet, turning to the old man: "Speak—where did this come from?"

The old man now knew his peril; he swallowed hard. "Forgive us—we were commissioned to retrieve this treasure."

"Who commissioned you?"

"This…"

The old man hesitated, but seeing the candles turn green again, he shrieked: "I'll tell you, I'll tell you!"

"It was the Tang Ya Tusi Castle!"

(End of Chapter)